Mechanical construction of storage-battery cells.



F. KENNEDY.

MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION OF STORAGE BATTERY CELLS.

APPLIOATION FILED 001. 3, 1906.

Patented Jan l, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. P.KENNBDY. MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION OF STORAGE BATTERY CELLS.

- APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3, 1906.

Patented Jail]. 4,

3SHEETSSHEET 2.

P. 'KENNEDY.

MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION OF STORAGE BATTERY CELLS.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 3, 1906.

945,397. Patented Jan. 4,1910.-

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I/Vi messes UNITED s'rATEs-PATENT.orFIcE.

PATRICK KENNEDY, F YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB T0 CONSOLIDATED RAILWAY nnnormc LIGHTING any namrmnnr country, or

won or MAINE.

NEW.YOBK, N. Y., A. CORPORA- naonamoar. 'oonsrnocrroxs or STORAGE-BATTERY CELLS.

I To all whom it 'mxiy concemf 1 1 of Fig. 2.

Be it known that I, PATRICK KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Construction of Storage-Battery Cells; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,-

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to-make and use the same.

A My improvements relate particularly to storage batteries having alternate positive and negative plates 5 aced apartand surrounded by a liquid eiectrolyte, and my ob jectis to reduceito a minimum the liability to short circuits Caused by the'bridging over of the space between the plates by material which has become loosened and scales oif the plates, or by any other material; and to provide separators for securely holding the platesin place which shall be of such character as to present no impediment to thecurrents through theelectrolyte, and which do not interfere with the clearing away of any scale that may lodge between the plates.

My improvements will be fully understood from the following description andithe accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a section of one form of cell embodying my improvements, on the line Fig. 2 is a section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section of a modified form of cell embodying my improvements, on the line 33 of Figs 4. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the jar shown in Figs. 3 and 4, with the'plates removed. 6 is a side elevation of the separator shown in Figs. 3 and 4 on an enlarged scale. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the separatoi' shown in Figs. 1 and 2, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the 'same, and Fig. lQ'is a detail view of one of. the plate supporting posts of Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

Referrin to Figs. 1, 2, 8 and 9, the jar A %y formed of some acid-resisting non-conducting material such as glass or hard rubber, and is. provided on its bottom with fourupstanding separator ridges a, a and a, a, the ridges a, a, serving to supportform havin tive materia being united by the respective yokes a and A Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 4, 1910.- Application filed October 3, 1906. Serial No. 337,233.

the plates of one polarity and the'rid es d, a, serving to support the plates of t e opposite olarity. The battery plates of oppo-- site po arity are cut away alternately in the manner illustratedin F i 's. 1, and'2, so that the plates which are resting onthe ridges a, a, are out ofcontact with the ridges a, a, and the plates 'which are resting on the ridges a, a are out of contact with the short circuit the plates. The ridges are provided with notches as shownto securely and evenly space the plates apart at the lower edge. :The battery plates C are'of the usual depressionsc containin acal the plates of'one po rity c to which are connected the terminals'c.

The comb-sha d separators b I) (see Figs. fiabl compbsedof insulating .held in place by the clampsb', of which one or more may be provided, and which may beturned into laoe to take under the 1 lower bars of the 0 es 0? and 0 By this construction the p ates are securely held in pro r position, separated from one another, wit out the iuterposition'of anything but the electrolyte between their active surfaces, the separators'doinm atford any lod'gment for the particles of scale and the like, and

the arrangement issuchthat-a thin imple- ,ment may readily be inserted between the plates to clean thain and: dislodge any scale .or' like mat r al- Referring to' Fi sja, a, 5,16,? and 1c, in which I have illustrated a modification which secures-somewhat more fully theadvantages of my improvements andwliieh is the form now referred by me so faras'the matter of e ciehcy is unaffected-by the question-of expense, in these'figures the general form mf the jar and battery in Figs. 1 and 2, but t 1e separating and supporting. ridge'sa, a anda, a','are replaced y the individual supporting and separating lates is the same as posts 6, c, and e, e. In this modified form,

furthermore, the separators f, for the upper edges of the plates, are comb-like structures,

having an up-turned edge adapted to fit over the bevels on the plate yokes, as'show'n in Figs. 4, 6 and 7. These separators are pro-' vi-ded with upright osts f the upper ends of which areada to to fit within sockets in' the under faces 0 the terminals 0, as shown, It will be 'seen that these modifications give an additional security against the short circuiting of the plates by accumulated scales and the like on the supporting ridges, and afford separators which may be inserted and removed withthe battery )lates, are held securely in position, a with the cleaning of the plates by an implement inserted between them.

It is characteristic of my improvements that the battery plates shall be held above the bottom of. the jar by individual supports so constructed and arranged that the supports for the plates of one polarity are out of'contaet with, the plates of the opposite polarity, and that the separators ,for the plates shall be so constructed and arranged that theyyare not at any point interposed between the activesurfaces of the plates and yet are securely heldin place so that they cannot'be shaken ;out of position.

Thesechar'acteristics, so far as I am aware,

arebroadly-new, and I desire that my broad claims shall :be giyen 'a correspondingly generic interpretation-"- Moreover, the item of cost is of considerable im'portance'in the construct-ion of storage batteries, and on that and other accounts it is sometimes desirable ing depending teet .to use only one or more of-my improved I "features, .and secure the advantages attendant on those features, discarding, in that particular case, the other improvedfeatures.

and their attendant advantages.

f What I claim is L In a storage --battery, a jar, two series ofplates' of opposite polarity therein, a narrow strip of-insulating material extending across the upper ed es of the plates and hav- 0 not interfere.

, i lyvitnessesz adapted 'to fit between the lates, and means forsecuringsnid strip inp ace, substantially "as described.

2. In a storage battery, ajar,two series of plates oi oppositef'polarity. therein, two yokes uniting the'respective series of lates and secured thereto'near opposite-5i es' of;"

the jar, andjstrips'ofrinsulatihg material provided with notches engagingjflie-u per edges of said. plates andpla utsi' e of the yokes, whereby the strips arei-held, i

place between the yokes'and the sides of' the i gar, substantially as described.

3. In a storage battery, ajar, two seriesof plates of opposite polarity therein, two

yokes uniting the respective series of .plat'esg' a narrow strip of insulating materialextending' acrossthe upper edges of-thefplatesand;

having depending teeth adapted to lit-"be'-- tween' the plates, and 'arigi'dfconnetiougsbetween a yoke and said strip, substantially .as described." 4

4. In a storage batter two series ofplates of opposite p0 arit y thereimi four] jar, two of the said seriesof series, notches in the, tops ,of said osts provide described. i I 5.. In a storage batter a jar, twoseries;

of plates of opposite poarity therein, four series of posts stag ered with .relationi-to one:

another andprovi ed with'notches engaging the lower edges of said plates, the yokes c? and 0', the terminals in; and the separators-ff" provided with the-postsj engagin the terminals a, substantially as describcii;

In .testimon whereof Iafiix my signature,

'in presenoeo two witnesses. f a

' PATRICK KENNEDY. 2-:-

AUG', 'l nnana'nit, -f 'iVYnLIAMjH; Dav s. 

